Thank you!
Looking forward to see you in 2018

“Bringing Chernobyl Back to Life!”

30. 8. – 1. 9. 2017
Slavutych city / Chernobyl zone

Partners

Chernobyling is about

Friendship

Heroes

Quests

Curiosity

Stalkers

Helping

Creativity

Heritage

Stories

Future

Hope

Happiness

Sharing

This ‘Radioactive’ festival joins together the people who love Chernobyl, Pripyat and the Zone itself, they want to explore it further and also get to know the human side of it. As well as 3 days full of adventure, new friendships, fun and relaxation, there is also a strong aspect of altruism: All the profit from the festival is directly dedicated to the inhabitants of the Chernobyl zone – also called the “Chernobyl babushkas” – for their medication, improving their living conditions (most of them live in very basic wooden houses) and the restoration of some items and houses, preserving them for the next generations.

Chernobyl is not only the place of tragedy that changed the world, it is a piece of history, a memorial to heroism and a lesson for mankind and… it helped bring communism to an end. In order to make it complete, a place where people are willing to help each other again, a place of unity and true camaraderie, we need to make it live again!

You will never forget these moments...

3 main challenge themes: UrbExing, Geocaching & Art/Photography.

3 days of Concerts, Lectures, Workshops, Quests, Activities… and of course uniquely themed trips to the Chernobyl zone

Worldwide Artists and Exhibitions.

Up to 5000 people like you! > 2000 from around the world

Official festival language: English

Ivan Ivanovich - Chernobyl zone resident, a “self-settler”

"Sometimes people do come to visit me and ask questions, but no one ever invited me for anything like this before! I’m looking forward to it, I love meeting people as there is not so many of them to talk to in my village. I like the idea of friendship of nations. That is how it should be, as we are strong only when we are together."

Vlad Vozniuk - experienced Stalker & Urbex specialist

"I’m really looking forward to unveil the truth about the hidden side of the Chernobyl zone. Seeing legal excursions in Chernobyl, I often wondered how different the experience might be between stalkers and tourists. I’m sure the regular visitors might be asking themselves the same question. And I’m happy to help them find out by sharing my own experience."

Kirk Brandon - Musician from UK

"I have had a longstanding fascination with Chernobyl and it's people so it is wonderful to be involved in this festival and I am very much looking forward to playing in Slavutuych city."

Aleksey Moskalenko - chief-man of the zone in 1986

"I am glad that people are interested in these stories, and that the memory of it will not fade away. I’m happy to share it, so the memory of my colleagues, of the Chernobyl heroes will live on. People should know about them."

Thierry Vanhuysse - Fine Art Photographer from Belgium

"I am very excited to be invited to give a photography workshop in the zone.
I lost my heart here on the first visit ... I enjoy to be here and "feel" what the zone is like and what makes it so special to me ... the feeling of "positive melancholy" touches me every time I get to visit it ... "

Alexander Esaulov - Pripyat deputy mayor in 1986

"I am often invited to different events and interviews, but this sounds absolutely unique. I’m looking forward to see people I worked with shoulder to shoulder at that time. To see them as winners today. I am glad that today we are still alive and can share our stories – how we worked and what we did – as it is disputed about a lot today. I want people to know how it really was and what we felt those days."

Mnaga Zdorp - pop band from Czechia

"We are looking forward to Ukraine and Chernobyl so much! We are very pleased to be invited and to meet local people and see the culture which is not so alien to us. The heroism that happened in Chernobyl touches us deeply, and it’s our honor to be part of this project.”

Yuriy Fomichev - current Slavutych mayor

"I am honored to be the mayor at the time when we host this festival for the first time – and I hope that in the future it will become our main city brand. We are trying to branch out from our sad foundation history and come to the brighter side. I’m happy to help people learn more about all that."

NeSpoon - Street artist from Poland

"I'm really excited by the possibility of working in this place, especially Pripyat. It looks amazing!"

Anna Korolevska- Chernobyl museum director

"Chernobyl - that is the word we all would wish to forget. And yet, we should not. As that is a part of not only our past, but of our future too. We should know and remember, in order to avoid mistakes in the future. We shouldn't be just silent observers, but help to create a better history."

Igor Chyzhevskiy - Leading engineer-biologist of the specialized enterprise "Ecocenter"

"Chernobyl is a unique place and I can spend years talking about that. I am looking forward to this event, as I believe it will give people all over the world a more clear idea of what is Chernobyl zone today, and what are the concerns and hopes."

Nicola Golightly - Artist & Designer from UK

"I'm thrilled to be invited as an artist to play a part in Chernobyling in it's debut year, creatively connecting with people from across the world."

Cinemon - music band from Poland

"We’re very excited to be part of a festival that for the first time focuses on future, life and all the positive values as a way to commemorate this place and to help those who are still there. We are happy to be there with you and to be part of creating a completely new history of this place.
We are the world! ;)"

Challenge themes

Geocaching

Marian Heczko

Geocaching with games and challenges inside the city of Slavutych, workshops, lessons by experts or just enjoy the fellow geocaching friends from all over the world. It will all prepare you well for the great games of the ‘Pripyat Escape’ and ‘Duga Radar Destruction’ (31.8.). Are you ready for the most precious geocache hunt of your lifetime?

Urbex

Vlad Vozniuk

Founder of Another.Kiev, Explorer, UrbExer and Stalker by heart

Immediate and ultimate Urban Exploration! Dive deep into derelict places and abandoned buildings enjoying the atmosphere of the past. Workshops, exhibitions and quests together with an extraordinary, unfinished hotel in Slavutych will give you a great introduction into the Holy Grail of UrbExing: Pripyat City (1.9.). Accompanied by (illegitimate) Stalkers who know the city and zone inside out and who will give you the most epic perspective on the Chernobyl zone and show you it’s secrets!

Art

Claire A Baker

Artist, Founder of 26:86 Collective, Lecturer and UrbExer by heart

There is a fine line between beautiful and ugly under the historic circumstances of 1986, which will be re-drawn. Expand your imagination, creativity, practice, interests and approach in the most exciting environments of Chernobyl and Slavutych, led by world-renowned street artists, photographers and artists. Workshops and prepared collective artistic activities inside the zone and the city of Slavutych will become part of the cultural heritage of Ukraine and you can play your part in it!

Your choice of theme affects only your chance to visit Chernobyl zone and the programme in the zone itself (1 day). You will be able to enjoy all other activities in Slavutych City.

Kiev-Slavutych-Kiev

BUS 1

BUS 2

Accommodation

You have 3 options of where to spend the night:

1.

With your valid festival ticket you can use our tent/camping square $9.86/person/night! - in the park next to the main stage, bring your own tent! The tent square is guarded 24/7. However organisers are not responsible for any loss. Please do not leave any valuables unattended (best not to bring any).

2.

Accommodation in a flat belonging to Slavutych locals (clean linens and towels provided). A local AirBNB for only $39.86/person/night.

3.

Accommodation in the UrbEx tents for $29.86/person/night. Bring your own sleeping bag. Toilets, showers etc. are provided in a nearby swimming pool.